I Have the Worst Memory
Just ask my closest friends, they will tell you that my memory is terrible. They will start asking me about something that happened in the 11th grade and I can't remember who or what they are talking about. It's like I wasn't even there.
I was listening to Dr. Curt Thompson, a well-known Christian psychiatrist, speak about how our brain processes painful memories. Did you know that it's actually quite easy for our brains to recall painful memories but requires tremendous effort on our part to recall anything good? And studies show that we recall negative memories quite faster than we are able to recall positive memories. Now, this is in part due to our ability to survive, of course. We want to remember that smushed squirrel in the road to remind us to look before we cross the street. But we don't want to remember the trauma that occurred in our lives until it forces its way back to the surface and the pain becomes part of our daily routine.
I was thinking about how he said, "It takes tremendous effort on our end to remember the good things." And that means practicing the process of recalling goodness. I believe that this is part of what God wants us to do daily. He calls us to remember the good things. I also believe it's why many people choose to memorize scripture so that they can recite truth as they are bombarded with lies from the enemy of our soul.
Remembering how God met me in the loneliest and most isolating time of my life when I questioned my purpose is remembering His goodness. Remembering how God kept me safe among the stupid and dangerous decisions I made before even knowing God, is remembering His goodness. Recalling the time my paths crossed with people who transformed my life, is remembering His goodness. I truly think that carving out a portion of our day just to sit and remember the good things is one of the most transformative, perspective-shifting, practices we could do.
I might not remember that one time after the JV Basketball game at Mcdonald's. But I will practice remembering the good.
What's a simple but good memory you have that you'd like to share? I'd love for you to leave me a comment. Bonus points if you journal one for yourself :)
One simple but good memory just from this morning was when my son walked into my room after eating Nutella on his pancakes and he had chocolate all over his face. I forget at which point we become mindful of food getting on our faces as we eat, but he's definitely not there yet. I watched as he giggled at himself in front of the mirror.
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